Tropical Themed Destination Wedding in San Diego

Jamie and Issiah live in Colorado but like many other couples, they dreamt of a tropical destination wedding in Hawaii. When they realized that Hawaii was going to be too far and expensive, they decided to have their destination wedding in San Diego instead. There they found the perfect venue to give them the beach, ocean, palm trees and lush tropical feel they wanted.

The couple’s wedding planner, Stephanie Rose Events, helped bring their vision to life by combining colorful florals with traditional wood furnishings, to create a beachy yet elegant vibe! To bring Hawaii to the event, they served Hawaiian shaved ice and funnel cakes to guests and used tropical leaves as signs. I absolutely love every single detail of this wedding and I hope it will inspire couples to have the wedding of their dreams regardless of the destination! A huge shoutout goes to Maggie Stolzberg Photography for capturing these gorgeous images and sharing them with us. Enjoy!

Q&A with the Bride

How did you meet?

We met through a friend in downtown Denver. Issiah was persistent while I took my time. Soon the sparks flew and we realized together is where we wanted to be.

What is your proposal story?

Issiah planned a romantic night in downtown Denver. We started the night at a steakhouse and the whole dinner I could tell Issiah was nervous. He was fidgety, distracted and stalling. He told me he was going to get the valet, he came back to get me and it just started to snow, under the twinkly lights on Larimer street. That’s when he led me to a private space where he said sweet and romantic things and then got down on one knee. I had to help him back up. 🙂

Tell us about your destination wedding attire.

What was most important to the two of you while planning? Was there anything that splurged on?

We splurged on flowers. My favorite flower is a peony and we went with Hawaiian tropical flowers to compliment the different shades of pink peony’s. We also splurged on the food and made sure our guests experienced shaved ice during cocktail hour, chicken and waffles appetizer and the dessert bars following dinner.

What were your favorite parts of the day?

A few days before the wedding, family and friends gathered at Hotel del Coronado and spent the day on the beach and in the ocean. Kids made sand castles and chased the waves and the adults experienced boogie boarding, throwing the football and frisbee. It was the best day! My favorite part of the wedding day was the minute the ceremony began and every minute until the night was over at midnight. I was in awe of the outstanding work our wedding planner and florist did. They were exceptional and exceeded all of my expectations.

Tell us about any personal details you incorporated into your wedding

My bridesmaid and I found a guy who produces professional videos. We wanted to feature our Dad’s who passed away a couple of years after we met in 2011 only 4 weeks apart. We wanted to tell the story of each of them so all of our loved ones that joined us at the wedding knew more about them and what they meant to us. It was emotional to see everyone’s reactions.

Do you have any advice for other couples planning their destination weddings now?

Hire a wedding planner. They will allow you to enjoy it and help bring it all together.

What was the best part of having a destination wedding?

Being able to find the lush topical feel we wanted.

What was the biggest challenge when planning your destination wedding?

Not many challenges because my wedding planner was on top of it and answered all 1000 questions I had.

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Erin is a New England native living in Cincinnati, OH. For the last six years she has served as Communications Manager for a large home service franchise, working as a freelance writer in her spare time. She has been a contributing editor for Destination Wedding Details since early 2017. Inspired by a desire to plan a uniquely personal destination wedding herself, Erin draws on experience to bring relatability and humor to her writing.

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